Tag: politics

If there’s one word that I’d pick to describe the mood of the United States citizenry today, it’s “polarized”. Increasingly, it seems like we’re split nearly right down the middle on most of the big issues, with equally loud voices on both sides trying to drown out their opponents.

Today the president of Toyota Motor Company, Mr. Akio Toyoda, appeared before a U.S. congressional committee to answer questions about the ongoing recall and safety/PR crisis that his company is currently suffering. My wife watched the proceedings on live TV, and as she put it, the result could only be described as “a serious culture crash.” Like a runaway Camry stuck at WOT, Mr.

I’m a regular reader of the Joystiq video game news blog, and this week my daily scanning of its pages revealed a lot of praise for a game I hadn’t heard of previously: Shadow Complex. This Xbox Live Arcade game by Chair and Epic Games is a 2D sidescroller built on the 3D Unreal engine, combining old-fashioned, Metroid-style gameplay with modern day graphics, effects and combat.

Originally, this post was going to discuss the official launch of our final week here in Thailand. It was going to feature details of the fun stuff we’ve got planned for our last weekend, our trip prep activities over the coming week, and even a list of “10 things I miss about the U.S.” juxtaposed with a list of “10 things I’ll miss about Thailand.”
I’m not so sure, however, that I want to write that post anymore.

It’s Saturday tomorrow, and the beginning of the first of our final three weekends here in Thailand. We’ve already got them all planned out, too, although you would expect as much from us by now. After spending the entirety of every weekday within the same four walls, working 80% of the day and mostly losing myself in daydreams and fantasy for the remaining 20%, when the weekend comes we like to get out of the house and do something.

This is going to be one of those rare politically-themed entries, so be forewarned.
As we Americans prepare for the inauguration of our newly-elected president, I’d like for everyone to take a few deep, calming breaths. Because you’re not going to have time to stop and collect yourselves when the new Congress gets in session and starts trying to legislate from the bully pulpit, which — mark my words — is exactly what’s coming.

When I first had the bright idea to prefix my entry titles with “Travelogue” while we’re overseas, I didn’t really stop to consider the result: that every post I make for the whole rest of this trip would start with that word.

Our travel date nears, and so, as you might expect, preparations for said trip have just about reached fever pitch around here. Not that I’m spending 24/7 packing — I usually plan things far too elaborately to get caught in a flurry of last-minute prep work.

On June 14th, Flag Day, my wife Apple became an officially naturalized American citizen at the Miami Beach Convention Center in Miami Beach, Florida!
The ceremony was nicely done — including a keynote speech by the director of the USCIS; a music video for “God Bless the U.S.A.,” and of course, the administration of the Oath of Allegiance.

Yay! It’s pouring rain here in Florida for the first time in six months! Now perhaps we can finally stop smoldering, inhaling noxious smoke and — dare I say it — go back to washing our cars in our driveways without getting two-hundred dollar tickets.